Setting the Bar High for Notebook Quality- An Experiential
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Teaching Tip
Each fall on the weekend before the students set up their notebook. I made mini sugar cookies. The quick way is to buy the rolls of sugar cookies and cut each cookie into quarters. Kids just need a taste to get this point across. While cooking I purposely burned one batch of the cookies. Some of the cookies I left plain, some I iced and then a large number of the cookies I iced and put sprinkles on them. I took these cookies to school on the day we put together our notebooks. As students finished setting up their notebooks I invited them to choose a cookie to take to their desk but not to eat it. Once the class all had their cookies, I expressed surprise that most took the cookies with icing and sprinkles and no one wanted the burnt cookies. I asked them why, Once they explained I told them that was how I felt about their notebook. A discussion ensued on what constituted a notebook that equaled a burnt cookie and what kind of notebook was a notebook with icing in sprinkles. The kids got it! And one year, one of my second language learners brought in her first assignment (a poster inviting people to colonize in the New World) and she actually put glitter on it. She told me that if I wanted sprinkles she would provide them. She went on that year to do some of the best work in her notebook!
February 3, 2011 Jaleel wrote:
simple yet intellectually elegant. I’m feeling this lesson and although I’m at mid year I plan on using this and will post any results in student quality. thanks
May 29, 2011 Patti McAuley wrote:
Brilliant! I have been trying for years to motivate students to do a quality notebook. This is terrific idea. Cannot wait to try it in September. Thank you!